"Cerne Abbas Stores concentrates on selling many local products: local cheeses,organic from a local dairy farm and meat from a group of local farmers calling themselves Genesis.
The Stores open from 8am to 6pm every day except Christmas Day.
It sells a complete range of products, including convenience products, tobacco, off licence, sandwiches, cakes, fresh bread ( collected/delivered daily from 2 local bakers ), Lottery, DVD rental, books, magazines, stationery, cards and newspapers."
May Day - Wessex Morris Men « Result #16 on Apr 20, 2009, 3:44pm »
Cerne Abbas: Dorset's hill giant will be joined by the Wessex Morris Men, who'll be dancing around the ancient symbol at 5.15am. www.wessexmorrismen.co.uk
CERNE Abbas and Piddle Valley Pumas have merged to form Cerne Abbas Football Club.
The united front will enable the newly-formed club to enter four teams in next seasons Dorset Youth League.
Merger talks began a month ago as both clubs, despite having plenty of members, were finding it difficult to put teams of the same age group together.
Now, with almost 80 boys and girls between the ages of six and 16, the combined outfit can put forward four teams Under-9s, 10s, 11s and 12s for the new campaign.
Cerne Abbas FC chairman Andy Ross said: The fact that the merger has come together so quickly and smoothly is a testament to the commitment of everyone involved to provide football for children of all ages.
Keith Williams, current chairman of the Pumas, added: Piddle Valley Pumas and Cerne Abbas have a common approach to the game, where the emphasis is placed firmly on having fun and good sportsmanship, helping to boost the players self esteem whilst teaching them the skills to play the game.
The previous two clubs both had humble beginnings. The Pumas began in 2004 as the brainchild of Terry Higson-Guy, who rallied together a group of children for Saturday morning training sessions.
Then, in 2005, Ross organised a kick around for just three kids and that was to be the birth of Cerne Abbas.
Despite their small beginnings, both clubs soon grew, attracting youngsters from a wider area.
A sponsored cycle enabled Piddle Valley to raise sufficient starting funds and in 2006 the Pumas won the Under-8 Mini-Soccer League before recording top-five finishes in the next two campaigns.
Last year, the Pumas triumphed at the Stalbridge FC five-a-side tournament, scooping the prize for best sportsmanship in the process.
Ross ran Cerne Abbas team almost single-handed for three years as coach, secretary, treasurer, referee and even groundsman.
But with close to 50 children it became too much and he issued a plea for help. The response was amazing with 20 people coming forward within days to relieve the workload.
Until about 1300 it is believed villagers worshipped in the nave of the Abbey Church. It was then that monks built the new church and dedicated it to St Mary the Virgin.
Traces of the original 14th century church can be seen in the chancel. The lancet windows on each side of the altar are the original early English windows, as is the blocked doorway on the south chancel wall. Remains of a 14th century piscina, for washing the vessels at Eucharist, is built into the wall to the right of the altar. To the left of the altar there is an early 14th century wall painting of four scenes from the life of John the Baptist and on the wall to the right is a portrayal of the Annunciation. It is likely the medieval church was painted in bright colours all around the walls.
The east window is 15th century and may have been salvaged from the original Abbey. It appears to be the upper part of a much larger window. The window contains 16 stained glass shields form the Brownyng family and are all that remain of 40 such shields in Dorset as recorded by Jacob Chaloner in 1600.
The screen, nave and aisles were added in the mid 15th century. An arch was inserted in the screen in 1870 so that the east window could be seen from the nave. Above the arch are what remains of three painted panels of the ten commandments and the royal arms. A photograph at the back of the church shows how it looked before the arch was constructed. The richly carved oak pulpit is dated 1640 with the date carved on a shield on the back panel. The font is 15th century on a modern base and plinth. The painted cover was added in 1963.
Either side of the nave painted shields contain biblical texts. Three of these were painted in 1679 by Robert Ford for which he was paid 12 guineas. The texts are from the Geneva, known as the Breeches, Bible of 1560. An additional text was added in 1967 when the most recent restoration work was carried out. Modern translations of the text can be found on hand boards.
The upper windows were added to the nave in 1530 by Thomas Corton, the thirty-fourth and last Abbot of Cerne Abbas. His initials T A (Thomas Abbot) are above two of the windows on the south wall. The stained glass fragments, that can be seen in most of the windows of both the south and north aisles, probably came from the east window when it was restored in the 19th century. The window by Hubert Westlake in the south aisle next to the porch is dated 1910 and shows St John on the Isle of Patmos in his vision of the worship of heaven.
The wooden screen between the nave and the tower was erected in 1749. The date together with the names of the two church wardens is above the door.
There are two most unusual memorial panels painted in black. They record details of notables in Cerne. One is in the north aisle by the Lady Chapel altar and the other to the right of the porch door. Two memorial tablets in the floor of the nave refer to the Notley family. Some of the family were early settlers in America and owned Cerne Abbey Manor in Washington, the site on which Capitol Hill stands today.
The altar rail kneelers were made by members of the church to commemorate the millennium of the foundation of the Benedictine Abbey in AD987.
The tower, complete with primitive gargoyles, was added in the late 15th century. A stone carving of the Madonna and Child stands in a niche above the West door. It is one of the few such statues to escape destruction by Cromwell's men. The five 17th and 18th century bells were not rung for over 70 years because the frame holding them was unsafe. In 1974-75 they were dismantled and re-cast and a sixth bell added.
To the left of the porch door is an open mouth gargoyle which is the chimney outlet for a fireplace in the priest's chamber. The 13th century stone coffin and lid is likely to be from the Abbey. The burial ground is at the north end of Abbey Street. It is approached through an iron gate beyond the duck pond. Only a stump remains of an old preaching cross at the right hand side of the path. A further door, to the north of the burial ground, leads to a field which is the site of the Abbey.
Cerne Abbas is a typically English village set in the heart of Dorset. To Thomas Hardy it was 'Abbot's-Cernel'
It is famous for its Giant, the 180 ft high chalk figure carved out into the steeply sloping hillside to the north of the village. He can best be seen from the viewpoint on the A352 Dorchester to Sherborne road.
The origins of the Giant are a mix of fact and speculation. Some believe that he represents the Roman god, Hercules, and is over 1500 years old. However, there is no known historical record before 1694 and it has been argued the Giant is more recent and a caricature of any one of a number of possible historical figures. Whatever the truth, he is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the care of The National Trust.
To prevent erosion visitors are not allowed to walk on the Giant itself.
The village of Cerne Abbas grew around the great Benedictine abbey, which was founded in AD987. For more than 500 years the abbey dominated the area. However, the abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII in 1539 with the Dissolution of the Monasteries and was largely destroyed, but it is possible to visit what remains of the Abbot's Porch and Abbey Guesthouse from the top of Abbey Street. St Augustine's Well, reputedly blessed by the saint, is found at the far end of the pretty burial ground, from the top of Abbey Street. St Mary's Church, built by the abbey for the parish in the late 13th Century, is in the heart of the parish and retains many original features.
In the centuries after the dissolution the village thrived as a small market town. Its wealth was partly generated by brewing, its underground water making it famous for the quality of its beer, which was sold as far afield as London and was even exported to the Americas. At one time Cerne Abbas boasted no fewer than 14 public houses, serving visitors and a population of about 1500. Waterpower also gave rise to milling, tanning, silk weaving, glove and hat making and many other small industries.
The coming of the railways in the 19th century bypassed Cerne and the village went into decline. By 1906 the population had halved and many of the houses had fallen into disrepair. However, in 1919 the village was sold off by the Pitt-Rivers estate who owned it and it is now a bustling community of over 700 people, with a flourishing school, a rural Post Office, the village stores, a local tourist information point, where you will also find a Town Trail of Cerne Abbas, three remaining historic public houses, tearooms and a number of other shops to attract the visitor. Bed and Breakfast accommodation is also available.
Cerne Valley Parish Council « Result #46 on Feb 9, 2009, 3:19pm »
Cerne Valley Parish Council
Cerne Valley Parish Council is a group parish, covering Cerne Abbas, Godmanstone, Nether Cerne and Up Cerne. There are almost 700 people on the electoral role, and the parish council administers, on their behalf, Cerne Abbas Burial Ground, the children's playground in Duck Street, and 44 allotment gardens, all in Cerne Abbas.
Cerne Giant Access « Result #49 on Aug 17, 2008, 10:51pm »
Had a walk up towards the Cerne Giant today and was very disappointed with the level of access to the site Very muddy path that gets incredibly steep around the perimeter fence on the Giant. Very dangerous! and badly thought out My first idea would be to build a wooden walkway just raised off the ground by about a foot that could just skirt the lower fence to the site, so would be totally invisible from the Viewing area on the other side of the valley. This would give much better access to the site much safer for the visitors and would protect the hillside from further erosion.
Promoting a walk to the current paths around the Giant just seems a bit of a joke to me
Go-ahead for new school in village By Dee Adthingy
CERNE Abbas children are set to leave their Victorian school after planners gave the go-ahead for a new building in the village.
Members of Dorset County Council's planning committee granted outline consent for a new school on Simsay Field off Alton Lane.
The permission means the county council can now arrange to buy the land, Chris Stokes, the council's team leader of development control, told members.
He said the application was to establish the principle of a new school on the eastern part of the field, away from an archaeologically sensitive area close to the abbey ruins.
It featured some suggestions about the height and form of the building and other elements of the development, but details would be resolved at a later stage.
Mr Stokes said the first school had a capacity for 75 children aged four to nine and currently had 59 pupils. The new school would also have a capacity for 75 children but would overcome problems with the existing site in Duck Lane where the Victorian main building was supported by mobile classrooms and still did not provide all the facilities needed.
It also failed to meet standards under disability laws.
The plan had drawn 93 letters with 73 in support and the rest either objecting or raising concerns.
County highways department wanted a condition included on providing a traffic management and calming plan to deal with the safety of vehicles and pedestrians using a narrow access.
Cerne Valley Parish Council supported the plan though called for concerns over a right of way, flooding, access and traffic to be resolved.
West Dorset District Council also backed the scheme but suggested a bund be built round part of the site to prevent flooding.
Members agreed that details could be explored later and voted unanimously to approve the application.
The Cerne Abbas giant, also referred to as the Rude Man or the Rude Giant, is a hill figure of a giant naked man on a hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas, to the north of Dorchester, in Dorset, England. The 180 ft (55 m) high, 167 ft (51 m) wide figure is carved into the side of a steep hill, and is best viewed from the opposite side of the valley or from the air. The carving is formed by a trench 12 in (30 cm) wide, and about the same depth, which has been cut through grass and earth into the underlying chalk. In his right hand the giant holds a knobbed club 120 ft (37 m) in length.
History Like several other chalk figures carved into the English countryside, the Cerne Abbas giant is often thought of as an ancient creation. However, like many of the other figures, its history cannot be traced back further than the late 17th century, making an origin during the Celtic or Roman periods difficult to prove. Above and to the right of the Giant's head is an earthwork known as the "Trendle", or "Frying Pan". Medieval writings refer to this location as "Trendle Hill", but make no mention of the giant, leading to the conclusion that it was probably only carved about 400 years ago. In contrast, the Uffington White Horse an unquestionably prehistoric hill figure on the Berkshire Downs was noticed and recorded by medieval authors.
The Cerne Abbas Giant seen from a distance The earliest written reference to the Giant was made in 1694, in a record for payment in the Cerne Abbas churchwarden's accounts of three shillings toward the re-cutting of the giant. The first survey of the giant was published in Gentleman's Magazine in 1764, and in 1774, John Hutchins wrote in his book The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset that the carving had only been done the previous century. Some believe that the giant was carved during the English Civil War by servants of the Lord of the Manor, Denzil Holles, and was intended as a parody of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was sometimes mockingly referred to as "England's Hercules" by his enemies. The Hercules connection is strengthened by the recent discovery of an obliterated line perhaps representing an animal skin (see below). The suggestion that the figure is Hercules was first made in 1764 by William Stukeley. Local folklore states that a Danish giant who was leading an invasion of the coast was beheaded by the people of Cerne Abbas while he slept on the hillside. The chalk line represents the location of his body. In 1920, the giant and the 1 acre (4,000 mē) on which he sits was acquired by the National Trust and is listed as a Scheduled Monument. During World War II the giant was disguised in order to prevent his use as a landmark for enemy aircraft. According to the National Trust, the grass is kept trimmed on a regular basis and the giant is re-chalked every 25 years. Traditionally, the National Trust has relied on sheep from surrounding farms to graze grass at the site. However, in 2008 a lack of sheep, coupled with a wet spring causing extra plant growth, forced a re-chalking of the giant.
Appearance Very much a phallic symbol on account of the figure's distinct erect thingy and testicles, for hundreds of years it was local custom to erect a maypole upon the earthwork about which childless couples would dance to promote fertility, and even today childless couples are known to visit the site in order to copulate in the hope that they might conceive a child. Recently, a group of archaeologists using special equipment found that part of the carving had been allowed to be obliterated. According to these findings, the free arm should have held a depiction of an animal's skin, giving credence to the theory that the giant was a depiction of a hunter, or alternatively, Heracles with the skin of the Nemean lion over his arm. It has also been suggested that his large erection is, in fact, the result of merging a circle representing his navel with a smaller thingy during a Victorian re-cut. Because the phallus is 15% the height of the drawing (excluding the club), the thingy length would equal roughly 26 cm (10 in) on the average male frame
Publicity Stunts In modern times the Giant has been used for several publicity stunts and as an advertisement for "...condoms, jeans and bicycles." A low-key example was the sponsorship of the 1983 scouring by the brewers Heineken. As a publicity stunt for the opening of The Simpsons Movie on the 16 July 2007, a giant Homer Simpson brandishing a doughnut was outlined in water-based biodegradable paint to the left of the Cerne Abbas giant. This act angered local neopagans, who pledged to perform rain magic to wash the figure away. The Pagan Federation subsequently distanced themselves from a misquote by an unnamed tabloid concerning the supposed rain dance, whilst at the same time confirming that they could not condone such commercial usage. In August 2007 a report in the Dorset Echo said that a man claiming to be the "Purple Phantom" had painted the Cerne Abbas Giant thingy purple. It was reported that the man was from Fathers 4 Justice but the group said that they did not know who it was.
Cerne Abbas is an old village located in the valley of the River Cerne, between steep chalk downland in the middle of Dorset, England. Grid reference: ST665012. The village had a population of 732 at the 2001 census, a figure which has fallen from 780 in 1998. The village of Cerne Abbas grew up around the great Benedictine abbey, which was founded there in AD 987. For more than 500 years, the abbey dominated the area. The abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII in 1539 with the Dissolution of the Monasteries and was largely destroyed; a portion of the Abbot's Porch and Abbey guesthouse remain. St Augustine's Well, reputedly blessed by the saint, also remains. St Mary's Church, built by the abbey for the parish in the late 13th century, is in the heart of the parish and retains many original features. In the centuries after the Dissolution, the village thrived as a small market town. Its wealth was partly generated by brewing, its underground water making it famous for the quality of its beer, which was sold as far away as London and was even exported to the Americas. At one time, Cerne Abbas had 14 public houses, serving visitors and a population of about 1,500. Waterpower also gave rise to milling, tanning, silk weaving, glove and hat making and many other small industries. The coming of the railways in the 19th century bypassed Cerne and the village went into decline. By 1906, the population had halved and many of the houses had fallen into disrepair. However, in 1919, the village was sold off by the Pitt-Rivers estate, which had owned it, and the village now has a local school, a post office, three remaining historic public houses, tearooms and a number of other shops.
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